Viper SmartStart-Protected Audi R8 Stands Out at Top Gear Live Show

If you’re an aftermarket guy and you get an Audi R8, what would be the most important mod you make?

Sure, you might want some really high-end wheels, maybe customize the interior with extra carbon fiber parts and some gadgets, etc. But that shouldn’t be first on your priority list. Number one is protection!

As in a Viper 5204V with the DBALL interface plus DSM250 SmartStart module for your phone. Because when you have a six-figure vehicle that’s sexier than your wife, you want to ward off covetous thieves.

On display at the Top Gear Live show in the UK, the R8 distinguished itself from the crowd, even with its lowered stance of about 30mm, thanks to KW coilovers. Custom-made Rotiform SNA 3-piece wheels (9″x20″ front and a whopping 12″x20″ rear) really set off the R8 and custom carbon-fiber mirrors give it an added slick touch.

On the one hand, show attendees could watch the Top Gear Stunt Team for daredevil acts — they set a record with a 720-degree, double loop-the-loop on a motorcycle — while on the other they could observe the serene beauty of the R8 equipped with SmartStart technology. What better way to bring driver and his beloved ride closer together than with a real two-way electronic connection?